I love you
by TheGentleOne
Summary: Draco is in a secret relationship with Harry and this story follows their journey into heartbreak, and cliché lines, and happiness.


**Title: **I love you

**Word count: **6,687 words

**Summary: **Draco is in a secret relationship with Harry and this story follows their journey into heartbreak, and cliché lines, and happiness.

**A/N:** I had fun writing this, and I nearly cried when I completed it. I am so sorry for the lack of transitions for Amor Vincit Omnia because I didn't know that FF had canceled out all my ASTRIX. Sighs. PLEASE DO LEAVE A REVIEW! Oh and I know my summary says that there are cliché lines but it's more at the end hehe

The sun rose high in the sky, and the birds chirping filled the air. A dark haired man stepped out from behind a big tree and busied himself with patting down his messy mop of hair and making sure that his clothing was immaculate. He reached into a pocket of his jacket and drew out a wedding band. It was slipped onto his finger and he exhaled a quiet breath before walking towards the house at the end of the road. He did not notice a silent figure watching him from the woods behind him as he ambled along the path.

The figure in the woods rubbed away the tears that streamed down his face as he watched the back of the man he love disappear from his sight, into the small cottage. In a similar move to the man he was watching, he too reached into his pocket and drew out a ring. The small, simple diamond glinted in the weak sun rays as he brought it to his mouth and kissed it gently. His grey eyes filled with tears once more as he willed his fingers to let go of the small symbol of the love between the dark haired man and himself. _ I love you. Forever and always. _

The ring fell onto the ground with nary a sound and the sobbing man apparated away silently.

**2 weeks ago**

Draco Malfoy giggled as Harry Potter stepped forward once more, brandishing the long peacock feather in front of him like a sword with a small smile on his face.

"No more, Harry, _please. _I'm begging you!" Draco shrieked as Harry suddenly lunged for him. The two men laughed as they crashed onto the cold, unforgiving floor. Draco shrieked with laughter again as the other man drew the feather down his sides and all over his body.

"I love you," Draco gasped breathlessly, heart clenching when Harry failed to respond in kind. He desperately wanted the ex-Gryffindor to say back the three words to him but he knew that it will never happen, with Harry married to Ginny and the rest of the world blissfully oblivious to the secret affair that was happening. It wasn't that the wizarding world was unsupportive of gays; it was just that the Golden Boy was their representative and the thought of having a gay man representing the British Wizarding World just did not sit right with majority of the people.

So when Harry had married Ginny and it seemed as though he had given up on hanging around Draco Malfoy, notorious ex-Death Eater, the Wizarding World had breathed a huge sigh of relief. Harry had no intention of letting them know that their poster boy was still very much 'hanging around' Draco, and at times, was hanging _inside_ the ex-Slytherin. There were countless times when Draco desperately wanted to announce their…'relationship' to them, consequences be damned but then he would think of how happy Harry was, to have the love of his life with him (even if it was a secret) and to have a big, happy family supporting him. Granted, Ginny could not bear the Savior the children he so desperately wanted, but Harry was already so _ecstatic _to have the Weasleys be proud of him, and the newspapers printing very little stories about his life, that Draco just could not bear to inform the world of their affair.

He would console himself with the memories of the nights they spend together every 2 weeks whenever the deep aching sadness and desperation would threaten to choke him at the thought of not having Harry to himself, at the thought of having to keep the perfect love between the two of them a secret.

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and leaned into Harry's embrace, mouth searching for the other's, his selfish wants a bitter taste at the back of his throat. He could feel Harry's grin against his cheek and he let out a low chuckle too, just because Harry was happy, and Harry will never be _this _happy when he was with that Weaslette.

Cursing himself internally for thinking of her again, he gripped the back of Harry's head firmly and tugged. Harry let himself be dragged down, and tantalizing blew a hot breath across the span of the creamy white stomach in front of his eyes. At Draco's groan, he let the top of his tongue touch the head of Draco's erection, relishing in the whimper the action caused.

"_Please, Harry, please."_

Harry's own hand crept down towards his erection and he tugged on it while he slid his mouth down the length of Draco's. The blonde gasped and sobbed at the sensation and babbled, pleas and whimpers slipping past his mouth in a beautiful melody. He keened and his back arched off the floor when Harry pressed a finger into his entrance. He forgot about everything and only focused on _Harry, Harry, Harry _when the man's tongue entered his clenching hole.

_I need you._

Harry crawled up Draco's body, ignoring the way Draco cried out and chuckled. "What do you want, angel? Tell me what you want"

Draco threw his head back, desperation and need clawing at his throat.

"Tell me, Draco."

He gasped, trying to force his voice past the lump in his throat.

"I… I want you… _please. Make love to me."_

Harry growled in triumph and he entered Draco in a single thrust, causing the lithe man to arch once more, throat exposed to the other man, pupils blown. The ex-Gryffindor mauled the ex-Slytherin's throat in between thrusts that resulted in sharp whimpers and broken cries from the blonde.

"That's it, Draco. This is what you've been waiting for, isn't it?" The tawny hand gripped the hot erection pressed between their bodies and _stroked._

"_Come for me, love."_

Draco screamed as he came, harder and longer than he ever had before. He was vaguely aware of his better half shouting and of the hot come that filled his hole so magnificently.

Harry fell onto Draco and panted. His hand fumbled around for his wand and he waved it sloppily, apparating them to Draco's bed in the Manor. With another wave of his hawthorn wand, he cleaned the two of them up and braced himself for Draco's sexual groan that never failed to stir his cock once more as he slid out of the blonde. He was surprised and a little worried, however, when he heard no groan. Frowning, he gently turned Draco's head towards his and smiled in relief when he realized that the blonde was sleeping.

He smoothed back the blonde's fringe and pressed a gentle kiss there. He knew that what he was asking of Draco was unreasonable and quite frankly, he had expected him to leave when it became clear that their relationship would have to remain as a secret for the rest of their lives. If he ever had a chance, he would make Draco his husband, consequences be damned but he wanted to enjoy not being in the spotlight and having whole hearted support from the Weasleys. He knew that once Draco's and his relationship come to light, his entire life would once again be on the papers and reporters would hound him anywhere and everywhere. He could not withstand the disappointment and resentment in the Weasleys clan's eyes too. They were already hostile when Harry had brought Draco over as a _partner in work _for dinner; who knows how they will react if Harry announced to them that he was very much in love with Draco.

And he was. Very much in love with the snarky Potions Master. Their friendship and love for each other had blossomed after the war, when Draco was looking for a partner to open his apothecary and Harry was bored enough to help Draco. It had actually been done to spite Draco, to show him that it was _Draco Malfoy _who had to ask for help from _Harry Potter_. Then it had became extremely clear that Malfoy had changed; he barely talked back to Harry, always immersing himself in the Potions Lab (much like Professor Snape had) and leaving Harry to manage the front counter.

Harry had been concerned at the lack of response from Malfoy because it was not _normal. _They had been at each other's throats since they entered Hogwarts, and Harry enjoyed their daily banter no matter how hurtful the other's comments were, and he wanted Malfoy to be Malfoy again, not some…meek man who practically lived with Potions.

Then when Harry had been helping Malfoy clean up the lab, the former had tripped and landed on the latter, and their mouths had met. It was so very cliché, but it had worked. Draco had stared up at Harry, eyes wide in surprise and Harry pondered over the fireworks he had so clearly seen and the butterflies in his stomach for only a moment before mashing their lips together again. He had considered _that _their first kiss because the other one didn't count due to it being an accident and as for how first kisses go, theirs was sloppy, wet and filled with too much teeth. It was, in a word, perfect.

Everything had just fell into place after that. Kisses were stolen in the apothecary and they would rush to the Manor after the shop had closed and touch each other. It was like that for a month, and then reality knocked sharply on Harry's door. Ron had stormed into his apartment on the one Saturday that Draco had spent the night over at Harry's instead and threw the Daily Prophet at him. Harry took one moment to thank Merlin that Draco was still in bed and that Harry had given in to his urge of getting a bite before looking down at the newspaper.

A large picture of Harry and Draco standing outside the apothecary, laughing together as Harry locked up and set the wards in place took up the front page. The headline screamed, "The Savior and Ex-Death Eater Together?" Harry paled. The implications of what he had done crashed around him, making him lose his breath.

"Ron, listen-" The redhead raised a hand and Harry closed his mouth.

"I know the what the Daily Prophet printed is not true, Harry, but you have to understand that spending almost all of your time at that…shop of yours and the ferret's is not going to help Ginny or you. Everybody is waiting for you to make her your wife and she will be _devastated _if this kind of rumor is present during your wedding this Wednesday. So here's what Hermione and I came up with…"

Harry tuned out the rest of the conversation, his head pounding and his palms clammy with sweat. His eyes were fixed on the kitchen doorway, where he had seen Draco's stricken face fill with tears and hurt and _betrayal _before the blonde had disappeared.

Draco did not turn up for Harry's wedding that Wednesday and Harry barely paid any attention to the service. He had been focused on the flash of blonde hair he had thought he had seen when he leaned in to kiss Ginny after taking his vows. It had taken him a month to apologize to Draco and for the latter to forgive him. Not a single _I love you_ had escaped his mouth ever since his wedding no matter how much he wanted to say it.

They had spent the next 2 years loving each other in secret, keeping their relationship away from hostile and prying eyes. Draco hardly complained and Harry loved him even more for it.

Draco stirred and a striking grey eye opened and smiled. Harry's breath caught at the sight of _love _in the eye. He struggled to breathe when a pale hand reached down and grasped his awakening erection.

"Ready for another go?" Draco asked huskily, laughter clear in his eyes and Harry smiled, heart impossibly full of happiness.

**1 week later**

"What are you doing here, Pansy?" Draco scowled at his long-time friend, eyes still trained on the cauldron in front of him, his hands stirring the potion constantly.

_Seven, eight, nine._

Pansy Parkinson's nose scrunched up as she watched Draco drop crushed bat hearts into the simmering potion. She detested Potions, always have and the only reason why she had took it as a NEWTS subject was because Draco needed someone by his side and she was the only one in their small group qualified for it.

"You've been keeping something from me, Draco, and I hate that. You're sad every day; you rarely smile anymore and you've been huddled in this lab making potions instead of going out with the rest of us." By the rest, she meant Goyle and Zabini. Each of them had tried to talk to Draco, to make him tell them why he was so withdrawn. They had initially thought it was due to the war, and due to his parents' and Crabbe's death but he had turned up at their graves every year without fail and that was a sure sign of him _moving on. _Hence the reason behind Draco's sudden lack of socializing was still an unsolved mystery to them and it was worrying because Draco _lived _to socialize.

Even when he was _tortured_ constantly at Voldemort's hands, he still socialized. It was a characteristic of Draco, no matter how inappropriate it is at times. It was something that made Draco _Draco. _

Draco was silent as he chopped up lizard tails into small, even pieces and gently set them into the potion, turning it a grassy green and picked up the stirring rod.

_One, two, three._

"I fell in love, Pansy."

_Seven, eight, nine._

"_WHAT!"_

Draco thanked Merlin that the potion he was brewing now was a simple one, and did not require a whole lot of concentration. He placed the stirring rod down and reduced the flame of the Bunsen burner.

"You have to _swear_ that you won't tell anyone about this, Pansy. Pinky swear me," he said solemnly, extending his pinky to the raven haired girl. Ever since they were kids, they had been each other's best friends, and stuck to each other through thick and thin. The childish pinky swear was a serious promise to the both of them, no matter how childish it seemed for adults to still use it. Pansy stared at him for a moment before extending her pinky to his.

"I pinky swear." For a moment both of them grinned at each other, memories of their childhood flickering in their minds. The moment was broken, however, when the potion between them burped. Draco immediately began to stir once more while Pansy busied herself by mashing newt eye balls into a gooey mush.

_Twelve, thirteen, fourteen._

The bowl full of the mashed eye balls was dumped into the potion and Draco began to stir once more. He only had to stir until the potion began to turn dark brown and then the potion was done.

"I fell in love with Harry, Pansy." He began.

One hour later, Pansy stared at Draco in shock. "I can't believe that you kept this affair from me for almost 3 years!"

"I didn't tell you for a reason, Pansy! We can't tell anyone at all! Imagine how Harry's life would be ruined if the press found out! His foster family would abandon him! They already don't like me being his work partner; what do you think would happen if they find out that I have been shagging their foster son? And Harry _hates _having the press harp on his life and if they find out that we've been together, they will be printing stuff about Harry-stuff that isn't true, and they will never let him off because _he _of all people cannot date an ex-Death Eater! Harry deserves to be happy, Pansy, after all the shit he's been through, and I want him to be happy!"

"What about you?" Pansy shouted at him, shocking him into silence. Never before had Pansy shout at Draco, even when he made the stupid decision to follow his Father's footsteps into the Dark Arts, even when he risked all of their lives.

"You deserve to be happy too, Draco," she said quietly, her eyes filled with sadness. Sadness for him, he dimly realized. "_You _also went through shit. You openly defied your Father, and struggled to complete that _insane _mission the Dark Lord had sent you on just to save your mother. You were spat on by the people you had approached to invest in this shop. You lost your godfather and your friend in the war. You lost _both _your parents to the Dark Lord. You fought for your Father's death sentence to lessen and you nearly died trying to save your Mother from falling into depression. Even when she died, you held strong and _lived. _You went through even more shit just because you wanted to live! So yes, you do deserve to be happy, Draco! And being with Potter-having a secret affair with him isn't making you happy."

Tears streamed down both of their faces as they stared at each other, their breathing ragged.

"Please, Draco. Can't you see that being with Potter isn't making you happy? It's only made you hide away from us and the world. We want you back, Draco. Please. You deserve to be happy too, not to be hidden away like some sordid secret. If he really loves you, he wouldn't want to keep your relationship a secret. He would tell everybody how much he loves you, consequences be damned."

Draco breathed in shallowly, his heart wanting to deny what his best friend had said and yet his mind agreed with her.

"How many times have he said I love you to you?"

_None._

He stared at her blindly, his head filled with memories of their times together, trying to find a single moment when Harry set a physical form to the feelings Draco was so sure he felt. _Maybe he has never loved me. _

Pansy exhaled noisily and moved forward to hug Draco, wiping her tears and snot on his shoulder discreetly. Draco did not notice, his mind in still a whirl. Vaguely, he noticed the potion he had been working on bubbling fiercely and acting purely on instinct, he whirled around and threw the both of them to the floor, making sure his body covered Pansy's. He closed his eyes as the world exploded.

**3 days later**

Pansy knocked gingerly on the door of the hospital room before sticking her head in. Draco watched her bemusedly, a frown on his face. "Well, come on in." Pansy smiled in relief before moving into the room and closing the door with a soft click.

"I was afraid that you would still be delirious from all the pain medications the Healers gave you." The brunette threw a small bag onto the foot of the bed and collapsed onto the chair beside the said bed.

"You mean the pain medication that Blaise gave me." Their eyes met and they both knew it was true. None of the Healers at St. Mungo's would heal an ex-Death Eater, a Malfoy at that and they were thankful that their other best friend was a celebrated Healer.

The brunette shook her head and smiled brightly. "So Blaise said that you can be released today! The burns on your back seems to be healing along nicely and he told me that if I take care of you for the next-"

"I'm leaving him, Pans," Draco murmured, eyes fixed on the window. He longed to be one of the many birds he saw outside, flying without a care in the world. He turned to his best friend suddenly, grey eyes filled with determination and sadness.

"You were right. Harry is being selfish and I loved him too much to see it. I deserve to be happy and- He didn't come to visit me, Pansy. Not once. Not at all."

Draco buried his head into his arms and sobbed, comforted a little by the soft arms that enveloped him a moment later.

**4 days later**

It was turning dark soon. Draco looked out into the Malfoy grounds, the flowers framed by the sinking rays of sun. Harry and he had had a picnic there a few weeks ago. It was their favorite place to have a picnic and Harry had stared at him with what he was so sure was love in his eyes.

Harry hadn't even bothered to visit him in St. Mungo's and he couldn't use the lack of news of him being admitted into the hospital as an excuse because when the potion blew up, it had attracted a lot of attention. The newspapers speculated the blowing up of the potion lab due to the lack of skills Draco had. It had been headlines for the number of days Draco had spent in the hospital.

Draco blinked his tears away and reprimanded himself silently again. It would be of no good to him if he greeted Harry with a heavy and sad heart. He wanted their last time together to be spent with happiness. He drew in a shaky breath as he heard footsteps on the carpet outside his study, a telltale sign that Harry had arrived.

The door creaked open and the brunette stepped in, his emerald green eyes filled with an emotion Draco dared not to identify. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, filling the room with tension. Harry finally broke the moment by rushing towards Draco, arms wide open. The latter immediately ran into the opened arms, longing to burrow himself into the brunette and never let go. His face turned into the hollow of Harry's throat and he breathed in his scent deep into his lungs, trying to not think of how this would be their last night together, of how he would never have the chance to hug the man or to kiss him.

He caught Harry's mouth in a desperate kiss, pouring all of his love and desperation into it. Harry groaned and Draco jumped, his legs hooking themselves around the brunette's waist, loving how they seemed to fit without any trouble and how Harry could carry his weight easily.

They spent the time needed to cross the hallway to Draco's bedroom kissing each other lazily, enjoying each other. Harry laid Draco down on the bed gently and started to kiss him all over. He slowly drew the jumper Draco was wearing over his head and scrutinized the body laid before him. Draco knew instinctively what he was thinking of and supported the weight of his body on his elbows, gazing deeply into Harry's eyes.

"The burns left no scar." He said softly. He immediately forgave Harry for not turning up at St. Mungo's when he saw the Savior's eyes fill with regret and sorrow. He knew it was wrong, and that Pansy would scream at him for being an idiot if she ever found out but he loved Harry, and always will, despite his many faults.

The mentioned man dipped his head and began to press butterfly kisses on Draco's chest and when he motioned for the blonde to turn over, Draco did so without a protest, mewing softly when Harry pressed kisses to where the burns had been scorched into his skin as if he knew exactly where they had been.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured as he kissed Draco's back, wishing that he had been there to protect Draco, wishing that he had been at St. Mungo's to comfort him. He had not visit his secret lover because Ginny had been wanting his attention that week and he couldn't abandon his wife if he did not want to arouse suspicion of his whereabouts every 2 weeks when he met Draco.

Draco wished fervently that the three words Harry had murmured were three other words. He wished that Harry could just love him unconditionally as the dark haired man entered him with a gentle thrust. He wished that the Wizarding World would just forgive him for all the misdeeds he had done. He wished that the night would not turn into day for that was when Harry had to leave him for his wife and when Draco would finally give up on Harry ever loving him as he caught sight of Harry's ring-less finger holding tightly onto his own. He wished that he had never met Harry as his back arched and he came at the same time as Harry and a single tear slid down his cheek.

**The morning after**

Draco stirred as he felt the bed dip then rise. He became awake in an instant, mind clear. Harry was leaving. He rolled over and watched silently as Harry tugged on his clothes, his heart a heavy burden in his chest. Harry glanced at the bed and froze in shock. Never before had Draco been awake when Harry was going to leave. He felt torn, wanting to crawl back into bed with his lover and yet wanting to fulfill his duties to his wife and to the Wizarding World.

He walked back to the bed and bent down to press a kiss to Draco's forehead. "Sleep, Draco. I'll owl you later." He paused when he saw a deep aching sadness in the blonde's eyes. He wanted to stay with his lover desperately, but he couldn't. Ginny would know something was up if he did not make it back before sunrise. He settled for a slow languid kiss and stood once more. He smiled softly at the man lying on the bed before leaving the room.

Draco waited for a few seconds before snapping his fingers and he was clothed. He padded out of the room silently and followed Harry down the hall into the apparition room. He made sure to give Harry a few extra moments before following the brunette once more.

Harry already was walking towards the cottage where he lived with his wife when Draco arrived. He watched with tears streaming down his cheek as Harry slipped his wedding ring back onto his finger, where it belonged. His heart and life belongs to his wife, not him, Draco reminded himself and his breaking heart.

_Goodbye, Harry._

He took out the ring that Harry had given him 2 weeks after their first kiss, the kiss that came with the promise of Harry loving Draco forever. He raised it to his trembling lips and kissed it, sobbing with despair and heartbreak. The ring fell onto the ground and he turned abruptly and apparated, unable to withstand being so close to Harry and yet so far.

_I love you. Forever and always._

**4 days after**

Harry glanced worriedly at the parchment before him. It was a letter from George, informing him that the apothecary hadn't opened since the day Harry saw Draco last. It was unlike of Draco. Even when he was sick, he would still scout for someone to open the shop, or even open the shop _and _manage the front counter by himself. Since the apothecary was opposite the Weasley's joke shop, he had asked George to keep an eye on Draco, claiming that he wanted to make sure that investment will not fail.

Draco not opening the shop worried him, and he hadn't received a reply to the owl that Harry had sent the morning after their last meeting, confirming that in two weeks time, they would meet once again. He had thought that perhaps Draco was too busy with his potions to reply the owl and had pushed the matter to the back of his mind but it surfaced once again.

His thoughts scattered as he heard a tap on the window of his study. He lifted his head to see an owl waiting outside the window. Still frowning, he snapped his fingers and the wards lifted, allowing the owl to pass through. The owl held out a leg to him and immediately took off right after Harry had slipped the parchment off. He broke the seal and lost his breath at the words before him.

_Mr. Harry Potter…Draco Malfoy…no longer a partner…the apothecary…repaid in full…wish for no contact..._

Draco had broke the contract with Harry. Draco was no longer his business partner. The apothecary was Harry's, and his alone. The letter crumpled in his fist as he snatched up his wand and apparated to the Malfoy manor, eyes blazing.

"Draco! Draco where are you!" He called out as he looked into every room on his way to Draco's study. The mentioned study was eerily empty of the blonde and frustrated, he stalked into the bedroom, only to find nobody present. Suddenly feeling cold and nauseous, he walked to the wardrobe that took up too much space in the bedroom and threw the doors open. It was empty.

Weak at the knees, he stumbled backwards and sat on the bed. The bed where they had spent many nights together. An envelope appeared out of thin air and fluttered onto his lap. He immediately recognized the looping handwriting on the front as Draco's and tore it open, hope thundering a painful dance in his chest.

_Dear Harry,_

_If you're reading this letter now, it means that you have received the letter from Gringotts informing you of my breaking of contract. I have paid you in full sum of the money which you had loaned to me in order to open the apothecary and I have also deposited into your account half of the income the shop had gathered. I know you don't care about the finances but it gives me a chance to gather my thoughts._

_You have, obviously, went to the Malfoy manor and noticed that I am gone. Well, it's true, Harry, I have left. For good. I have kept our relationship-if that's what you can call it-a secret to keep you happy and I didn't realize that in doing so, I was making myself miserable for I do not want to be a dirty little secret for you, Harry._

_I want free confessions, Harry. A lifetime commitment. And I have come to realize that you can't give me that. I shouldn't have taken you back after knowing that you kept your marriage to Ginny a secret but I was weak; weak for your love. I wanted you so desperately that I thought I could be satisfied with a secret affair with you but I was wrong. Every minute spent with you only made me want what Ginny has with you: acceptance from everybody, including yourself. _

_You and I both know that if you accept our relationship completely and whole-heartedly, our relationship would not be a secret to be kept between the two of us. We would face the world with an open mind and fight for our love. But you didn't._

_Pansy, Blaise and Goyle knows of our relationship and I trust them whole-heartedly. They wouldn't tell anybody. _

_I guess this is goodbye, Harry. You can breathe easily now, because you won't have to keep a secret from everybody anymore._

_With love forever,_

_Draco._

Tears sprung to Harry's eyes. He looked around the bedroom, noticing for the first time how Draco's photographs that had littered the walls were gone now. His breath catching, he stumbled from the room and stared at the corridor. It was empty. The vase that had always been on the small ornate table was gone and Harry knew it was a favorite of Draco's, because Draco had told him so during one of their many picnics-

Harry fell to his knees and cried. Draco was truly gone from his life.

**1 month later**

Draco hummed to himself as he carefully ladled the potion into vials and corked it, making sure that not a single drop of the Pepper-Up potion would spill if the vial was turned upside down accidentally. Once that was done, he flicked his wand and levitated the whole crate before him and climbed the stairs to the shop above, just in time to hear the doorbell chime, a sign that someone had entered the apothecary.

It was probably Pansy bringing him lunch. Pansy had agreed to be his partner for the small shop he had set up in Lioo, the small Wizarding town in Wales. Although it was far smaller than the shop he had with Harry, it had suited Draco's needs just fine. His heart clenched at the thought of Harry and he pushed all thoughts of the raven haired man to the back of his mind.

He carefully set the potions in the storeroom behind the counter and turned, an expectant smile on his face. It slid off immediately however, when he realized who the person standing in front of him was.

It was _Harry._

The man had dark circles beneath his eyes and he looked a little thin and his hair resembled a bird's nest but the scent of the man seemed to fill the entire apothecary and Draco could not help but inhale.

The two of them stared at each other, drinking in the sight of each other, eyes combing every inch of the other's body, mind cataloging all the visible changes.

"You're thinner." Harry blurted out in a hoarse voice. Draco licked his lips nervously and when Harry's eyes were drawn to his mouth, reality crashed around Draco.

"Hello Harry! What potion would you like to purchase?" He said brightly. He couldn't afford to fall back into Harry's arms again. The last time he did that, he had nearly lost his soul. He pretended to busy himself by rearranging the potions on the display set in front of the counter, keeping the false, bright smile on his face. _Don't cry. Don't do anything stupid. _He chanted in his mind.

Harry blinked. Anger from the blonde, he was prepared for, hell, he even had handkerchiefs stuffed into his pocket for the tears but he was not expecting cool aloofness. And, he decided, he hated that bright smile on Draco's face because it was _fake. _

"Draco. Angel. Listen to me. I need you. Please come back."

Draco hummed once more as he turned back to Harry, smile still firmly in place.

"You're in luck! I just brewed a whole fresh batch of Pepper-Up potion! Is there any other potion you need?"

"I'm sorry for making you hide our relationship, Draco. Can you forgive me?"

"Hmm, I think I do have the potion just for your stomach aches… let me find it…"

"Please talk to me, love."

At that, Draco snapped.

"Don't call me love! Don't _ever _call me love! You have no right to call me that! You never told me that you loved me, not once, not ever! I was a fool to think that my love for you was reciprocated. You filled my mind with promises to marry me and love me until I die, you filled my mind with promises that you had no intention of fulfilling! Were you happy, when I told you that I loved you? Were you happy because you had done the one thing everybody thought was impossible? You made me fall in love. Me, a Malfoy, an ex-Death Eater. Did you have fun laughing at me behind my back?

Did you even think of how I would feel when you proposed to Ginny? Or were you too excited at the thought of having a family at last to even spare me a thought? I forgave you for marrying Ginny because I loved you and I thought maybe, just maybe, you could divorce her and marry me instead. Merlin, I was an idiot to think of that. I gave up everything in my life for you, Harry. I stopped contacting my only friends in the world in fear of telling them that I was in a relationship with you, that I loved you and you might love me too. I fought so hard to live after my parents' deaths and yet I did not know that I was losing it just by keeping our affair a secret.

I am not some boy toy you can play with at random times, Harry! All I wanted was your love! Is that too much to ask for?"

Draco panted, his eyes swollen with tears and his cheeks red. Harry stared at him, eyes filled with tears too. His heart clenched painfully in his chest as he thought of all the pain Draco had to endure.

"No, Draco. It isn't." He took a step forward, relieved when Draco flinched, but did not step away.

"I was the fool, Draco, for thinking that I could have the best of both worlds. I was greedy, seizing the chance to be with you and yet be the man everybody wanted me to be. I thought that I was happy making everyone happy by marrying Ginny and trying to build a family with her. I was so scared of losing the Weasleys as my foster family, Draco. They have been with me since I entered Hogwarts and they were more of a family to me, more than what my biological family was. I was scared of what they would think of me if I told them that I was in a relationship with you and I've realized that if they truly love me, they would accept me and whoever I love no matter what. I was not ready to face the press when news of our relationship got out because I did not want to be in the limelight again when all I have ever wanted was a quiet and peaceful life.

But when you left, Draco, I felt as though you had taken the light out of my world. I was literally blind. I couldn't eat or sleep and I just kept thinking of all the times we spent together. I was only surviving when I met you twice a week and I nearly died when you left. I only _lived _when I was with you. You mean the world to me, Draco and without you, I would be nothing. I love you, Draco. I have, and always will. I don't care about the consequences. Fuck the consequences. I would be living a half life without you anyway. I'd rather be living whole-heartedly with you and having to deal with all the shit in life than to not have you and having everything given to me on a silver platter.

I love you. Before I came here, I told Ginny that our marriage wasn't working out and our divorce papers were just signed and filed. I am officially a single man, Draco. Would you marry me?"

Harry knelt clumsily on one knee and dug in his pocket for the ring box. He flipped it open to reveal a ring that was similar to the ring he had previously given to Draco but the diamond was now bigger and emerald green.

Draco's mind reeled and he stared at the ring, and then at Harry, and then back to the ring again. He opened his mouth and when not a sound came out, Harry said, "It's okay, Draco. Even if you don't accept it now, I can try again tomorrow. I have no intention of giving up on asking you to marry me until you say yes."

"Well, you can give up now," Draco watched with glee as Harry's eyes filled with disappointment and sadness. He was due some revenge after all. "Because my answer is _yes,_" Draco threw himself into Harry's arms, knocking the two of them to the floor.

They kissed passionately, hungrily, trying to memorize each other's mouths.

"I love you," Harry murmured and Draco smiled. "I love you too."

It was the start of a new beginning for the both of them, and they would meet all the obstacles in their lives together and conquer all of it.

THE END.


End file.
